The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-03-13
THEATRE PARTIES.
why They Arc Made and wh,, They


THEATRE PARTIES.
Why They Arc Made and what They Are.
The London Saturday Rcriep hns an entertain.
Ing essay on theatre parties, which Is curious ms
showing that society in London is very muchlikc
society IN Washington, The chief difference be-
twccr the English pn,ties and ours is that they
| appear to always arraagc that each person shall
pay his share. Americans are generally able to
| improve anything they copy. aud there is nppar-
entity no reason why people who are able to do so
should not entertain their friends 10y taking them
to the theatre and to supper afterwards without
requiring ALL rich aud poor alike. to pay for what
they get But the Englishman's discourse ON
the subject applies well In most of its features
to tho theatre parties of Washington that II
might almost ms well have been written here.
| The RsricW says:
There are many morc forms of amusement
| that could he enumerated thnt this dospot fash.
| ion, more absolute than the most absolute auto.
ST has @ pgssd s upon Us gr9yens worship
thut which society, more especially In the winter
months nowadays dclightsin. The great am'isc-
bcr of vo'arics of fashion have collected In town.
y MSs a sey 70 to % psn
beings, to afford Themselves aud each other
init h sSo hs5 asr cspUt pSe oaSsr
and the public by nppcorinr en- cridenee rs much
rs possible.
II they content themselves with meeting to.
gcther Mt dinner, thcn there Is the fearful tax on
their ovcrstralned brains OF entertaining each
other for three mortal hours. The cdespot fashion
would not impose such a dreadful yoke on the
necks of his faithful subjccts-thc strain would
be too great; so he orlains that those whose intel
lects cannot grapplc with II few hours entertain
mcnt of Kindred spirits, the universal theatre
party should come to the rescue. How frequently
does one hear now, Let us make u n pnrty to the
| theatre, and then we can have s,ippcraftcrwaids
at the Bachelors orleans, or New Club" the
| main object being that n certain number of
friends should go to theatre, not necessarily for
| the sake of the performance, but that they may
spend an evening together without being abso-
Mtcly compelled to entertain one another,
though, II they feel tho spirit move in them, they
have no hesitation in CARRYING on their convcrsa-
tion during the performance of the piece, much
to the annoyance of those who 10 from u love of
acting.
the component parts are absolutely ignorant of
whnt theatre they are going to till their tickets
arrive, and then they lind they have the piece
several times before. or 1t Is piece they do not
want to see; but it matters not to them, MS they
arc fulfilling one of the great duties OF life that
a party to the thentrc and supper Afterwards. it
cannot he argued of such us these TINT they are
s pa srs hs s ID a de
ent times, when II hns eaten its dinner, and
seldom win the eSception Of some m very few en- en-.
they do they cause great Inconvenience and an.
noyance to those who really go to the theatre for
party cannot be said to meet for the intellectual
enjoyment of sweet converse between the differ.
cnt members, for the play that is being acted to
some extent hnders that. Why, then, does II
mcctf The only solution to that question Is that
theatre to relieve him or her of the overpowcring
tax of trying to be entertaining for the space OF
would have been meeting at dinner. 1t seems to
be a confession that now conversational gifts
Society do no es se fo To-
strain. Is II that we live now nt such high
perpetual lnotioni How often do we hear, "Oh,
let us do something tonight! What shall we
o,,s enough In themselves to enjoy the flow OF
reason aud Wit by asking one or two friends to
S tfat wSE would oof ooy be sns
their intellectual capacity to the best of their
abilities for the amusement of each other. They
. toward their God.fashion. 1t would be absurd r
there for the object Of killing time; there are of
course hundreds of thousands who go for the en-
Of 4s hns s; s they ts. s
spirits and go for the purpose of witnessing the
performance. some, theatre parties are made
present day, WHO IL. blessed with unmarried
daughters, feels that she has tue duty to perform
Of marrying them well, rs regards worldly goods
Theatre parties Afford great OPPORTUNITIES to her
aniT she wS sSosan S as sts "Se
be n good match for ono of hcr. daughters The
seats can be arranged so that her daughter sits
next the Intended victim, and has full opportu.
mites OF exercising to her utmost her powers OF
fascination, without any fear Of interruption. OF
for some time. In n dning-room after dinner or
At balls there Is always the drawback Of Others
hGs Sy
es G a1w y Ss ths ns
/ then dcvoting himself to some other than her
: marketable article!
opportunity for II Irritation with a young mar.
ried woman, II shc he so inclined, for the husband
being present n halo of rcspcctability Is thrown
over the proceedings, and the poor man, though
he may be aware Of what is going on. cannot
deep love and lifcions deyoen 20 as he III masnes H IS
interruption; and 60 the the theatre instead ol
6enS AZ n innocent a n, may to those con
and scandal In the future.
\ theatre party now Is seldom complete with
! out ont an nhlonrnmcnt a TO supper nfterwnrd, prob
}. mitted, for to them that is half the charm
. Their. is something very "plquant" to them IL
until few years ago club was closed bool
Q to them; the mysteries which their Imagination
Il coniured up were always u source of intense Gu
u rosity to most of them and the clubs for many
years were bone Of contention. Bu
se % a" hey ane aEe s,e to nes
! more people that they know. and will be able t
!, answer satisfactorily, with II long list OF names
inv by the other members Of their family, "'wh,
h did yom meet there ln fnct that question 4
: like the play2" There is no doubt that large par
/ ties are nuisance 10 the rest OF the thentre-go
and IS an IS IE ta Tor stiU thas
d who are interested In the performance to bc con
u u stantiy disturbed by the component parts of
large party coming In two or three Mt time un'
e passing them when seated. And, again, lnrH
y party means mean continual whispering and conyer
y TO those who wish to liscn und prov oking I,
3 those who nrc acting.
n the present day and peoples dislike of nnythin,
q that gives them trouble In the shapeo of exercising
20 their brains Ms a means Of entertaining on
another seems to account, to II great OK
II tent, for the prevalence Of making un lnrge par
r. ties for the tlcatrc for II people really wish t
% goiiy two. @ fhreeyor y r four m in an number III
o TO be hoped that the despot fashion win soon or
d dain that there should be cultivated In society
stronger taste for the art of intellectually anus
q ing one another, and that clever and brillian
mor M should hot De entirely Dansned
I of like description, good and pleasant In them
J. selves in moderation.
In Mcmuriam-Niny Loring.
mas sdaeH dsah Of MHry n only sIl Shila
=, Ieared herself during her short residence 4
hamst;s q Py hp ssn. 5 IND Ssi@F nar
|. her disposition, that made her living sunbeam
, In the house which Is now made desOlatc.
- The spontaneous OutpOilrng OF sympath
II from young nnd old for the 6ercayed father
d whose heart II wrung with anguish and fror
a. whom the light and 10y Of his life has fadet
. was nn expression of the hold sho had gainc
- upon the affections Of all with whom she ha
G. been associated, and the beautiful and profus
ID floral tributes, In which she literally 'burios
u were manifestations of sorrow which could I'm
!, no other expression.
d Among the many offerings were broken 60
~ tlmn of white IOres and yiolets, surmounted by
dove sent by the attaches OF the Bureau of Er
l., craving; mn immense anchor Of roses aud azalca
!, from the Winter Club; several pillows, anchor
u hearts, crosses, broken our OF yiOlcts cut How
J. crs In prOtusion and thousand sprays Of iii,
C OF the valley, hcr fuyoritc iiower,l In which s
"a was cnshroudc,l.
~ AZ she luy In her robe of purcst white with
y CLINT of sunshine like Gods benedctiOn restin
~ on her brow. rhe seemed indeed tho bride
Death, purified by suffering, for the companion
ship of the saintcd mother, long gone befor
Il who, In her last moments she felt was waiting
W. welcome her home.
IL She has gone In the bloom Of her youth. ere y,
re the sOrrows of life hnd cast on her their wthe
4. ing blight and lett behind her only loving men
-, ores In the hearts Of her friends that time
:" never cifacc.